Shank-stiffener.



p No. 834,506.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE,

JOHN'E. BICKFORD, 0F WHITMAN, MASSACHUSETTS.

' sl-IAN(-sTn--Fl-:Nralm Specication of Letters Patent. Application llled Huch 20, 1906. Serial N o. 307.088- Y Patented Oct. 30, 1906.

To all whom, #Aimar/concern: l

Be it known that I, JOHN E. BroKFoRD, a

citizen of the United States, resid g at Whitman, in the countyof Plymouth and f State of Massachusetts, have invented a new and useful Improvement in` Shank-Stifeners, of which the following, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, is a specification.

My invention relates to a device for rendering the shanks of boots and shoes firm and unyie ding to the pressure of the arched part of the foot-that 1s, the art that should be supported by the sha g; and it consists in combining with the outer solo a compound shank-pice one part of which is of metal,having its ends bent at about right angles, so as to pass through the other part of the shank-piece to penetrate the outer sole sufficiently tov make a firm holding, and thus add to the elliciency of the compound shankv piece, the object being to im rove the useful effect of the shank-piece. his object I attain by the means lllustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which- Flgure'l is a vertical section taken through device relates. Fig. 2 is a plan view of t e inside of an outer sole, showing a shank-piece attached.

In the drawings, A re resents the outer sole of a boot or shoe, an S a filling part of made of eather, leather-board, wood, or any suitable material thatwill` give-{theggrequired bulk and is durable and would be shaped,l and molded as required for the style of boot or shoe to which the article is The part B should be of plate metal, hard, stiff, and elastic-like tempered steel, for instance. The ends b and b of this metal plate B are bent down at right an les, as shown in Fig. 1, so as to penetrate t e part S and, passing entirely through t,-enter the outer sole A, but not pass entirely through it. By this construction I am enabled to utilize the outer sole itself as a part of the shankstiflener. f

IclaiIn-f, l Y e A shank-stiffening device comprising a filling part shaped and molded for the purpose, and an elastic metal part havin its ends bent and driven through the said fi ling part and ada ted to penetrate the outer sole as shown an described.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification, in the presence of two subscribing witnesses, on this 17th day of March, A. D; 1906.

` JOHN E BICKFORD. Witnesses:

FRANK G. PARKER, JOHN BUCKLER.

to be applied.

the compoundr shank. This part may be 

